Thomas Eakins, a painter, photographer,
Apart from his art, Eakins
2 . For Vishwanath Mallabadi from Bangalore, India, there is no such thing as a useless object or “waste”. Give him anything—abandoned metal or plastic items, old devices, dysfunctional printed circuit boards — and he’ll create art out of it.
Vishwanath’s passion is particularly relevant in the current age, where India generates more e-waste than it can recycle. From 2019 to 2020, the country generated a total of more than 1 million tonnes of e waste. Of this, only 22.7 percent was collected, taken apart and recycled. The eco-artist has upcycled and transformed nearly 200 kg of e-waste into usable products and proposes eco-art as a means to deal with waste management.
Vishwanath’s father, D M Shambhu, was a famous sculptor and painter, but he wanted his son to choose medicine and become a doctor. However, Vishwanath, who was interested in upcycling second-hand objects right from childhood, decided to pursue a BFA in Applied Art. He later went on to work in a company as a high-level administrator and retired two years ago. “In my free time and during the weekends. I used to conduct experiments in e-waste and try to develop something unique,” he recalled.
So far, the eco-artist has created more than 500 objects. These include a six-foot tall sculpture made from upcycled computer keyboard keys, and a painting inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, using upcycled resistors (电阻器) on wood. Among his other artworks are a 42×38 inch figure statue created from upcycled keyboard keys on a sun board finished with plastics, a deer made of colorful used wires, plants and flowers from computer parts, and eco jewellery from upcycled digital wrist watch parts.
“The work involves selecting the e-waste objects—the texture, shape, and colour etc, and visualising and conceptualising the final product. It might take weeks and months for sculptures. However, sustainable initiatives and upcycled art are nowadays in demand in multinational companies opting for a sustainable culture,” he said.
1. What does the author try to convey in paragraph 2?A.The seriousness of e-waste in India. |
B.Vishwanath’s passion for environment protection. |
C.The achievements of waste management in India. |
D.Vishwanath’s attitude towards dealing with e-waste. |
A.A passionate eco-artist. | B.A private doctor. |
C.A famous sculptor. | D.A senior manager. |
A.The deer and the plants. | B.The sculpture and the figure statue. |
C.The painting and the flowers. | D.The deer and the eco jewellery. |
A.Exciting but unprofitable. | B.Creative but useless. |
C.Demanding but worthwhile. | D.Efficient but costly. |
3 . For those who are deaf or have hearing loss, making and enjoying music can be a challenge. However, that hasn’t stopped Dame Evelyn Glennie from achieving success.
Scottish-born Dame Evelyn Glennie is one of the world’s most recognized percussionists (打击乐器乐手). However, she started going deaf at the age of eight due to a nerve disease. At 12, she totally lost her hearing.
At first, Glennie was desperate. But her percussion teacher at school taught her to feel particular notes. For example, she had to place her hands on a wall, and he would play two notes on two timpani. He would then ask her which was the higher note and where she felt the vibration. Through trials and errors, she managed to distinguish the pitch of notes by associating where on her body she feels the sound. Thanks to her perfect pitch and the fact that she performs barefoot, Evelyn “hears” the sound. Together with her lip-reading skills, and amazing musicianship, she has conquered any troubles and inconvenience caused by her impairment.
Till now, Glennie has performed with almost all the major orchestras (管弦乐队) globally. Besides classical music, she is famous for partnerships with pop and rock artists like Sting and Bjork. Glennie’s works has earned her over 100 music awards, including two Grammys. She even led 1,000 drummers in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
At the age of 58 this year, Glennie’s mission now is to “teach the world to listen” to improve communication by encouraging everyone to discover a new way of listening. “It’s important to grab on to any opportunity that comes your way, but you also need to create your own opportunities,” says Evelyn. “It’s a personal time to reflect on the impact you might have on other people as well. I don’t know if age plays a part in it, because I feel as though I haven’t really achieved very much and there’s still so much to do!”
1. How could Glennie identify different notes as a deaf person?A.By reading her teacher’s lips. | B.By putting her hands on a wall. |
C.By applying her amazing musicianship. | D.By feeling the vibration through her body. |
A.Sorrow. | B.Mismatch. | C.Abnormality. | D.Fear. |
A.faithful and tolerant | B.cheerful and practical |
C.determined and kind | D.considerate and dutiful |
A.A Dream Pursued by Evelyn Glennie | B.A Deaf Musician Heard by the World |
C.Evelyn Glennie: Teach the World to Listen | D.Talented Percussionist: Say “No” to Age |
While athletes were racing to realize their dreams during the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, Ding Jiao kept
Ding, a physically challenged artist created 96 comics for the Chinese athletes in the Tokyo Summer Paralympics last year. These comics were popular, with
The 31-year-old Ding says: “I’m physically challenged, so I know how hard it is for physically challenged people
Ding recalls when she watched Chinese athletes coming into sight at the opening ceremony, tears
She spent around five hours drawing a comic piece, describing the Chinese athletes at the opening ceremony. The work
Every time she drew an athlete, she watched the athlete’s race
Ding finished 96 comics within one month. “I worked overtime, but it is worthy
Officially
Vincent Van Gogh, for
In 1886, he went to Paris
Van Gogh died in 1890. During his life he had sold one painting. Van Gogh’s finest works were produced in
1. What is Stephen Wiltshire’s nationality?
A.French. | B.Japanese. | C.English. |
A.He walks around it. |
B.He observes it on a tall building. |
C.He takes a helicopter flight over it. |
A.To display the buildings. |
B.To calm himself down. |
C.To show his amazing memory. |
A.At a studio. | B.At an art exhibition. | C.At a classroom. |
7 . Throughout history, many of the world’s greatest artists never achieved tremendous fame until after their death. That’s the case of Vivian Maier, who’s now considered to be one of the most important American street photographers of the last century, alongside famous names like Diane Arbus and Henri Cartier-Bresson. But she remained unknown for much of her life, and it was only a chance encounter with a box of negatives that put her in the spotlight.
Details of her life are unclear, but she was born in New York City in the 1920s to European parents. Maier grew up in France before returning to the U. S., where she spent several decades working as a nanny in Chicago to wealthy families. During her days off Maier is thought to have taken more than 100, 000 photographs of people and city scenes in Chicago, yet she kept the photos to herself-many of them never developed.
Skip ahead to 2007, a Chicago historian and collector, John Maloof, came across Maier’s work by accident after purchasing a box of tens of thousands of undeveloped negatives for $380 Sat an auction (拍卖) . As he developed them, Maloof realized they were more than just photos. He was looking at evocative (唤起) art illustrating a Chicago of the mid-20-century that nobody had never seen. Maloof worked to uncover who the photographer was, acquiring more and more of her work. But before he could locate her, Maier had already passed away in 2009, having slipped on ice and never recovering from her head injury.
While Maloof researched Maier’s work, more details emerged. She kept to herself, her employers said, and she would spend her free days taking photos on the streets of Chicago with a Rolleiflex camera. According to Maloof, the children Maier took care of knew she was constantly taking photos, yet she never showed her photos to anyone. Maier also traveled around the world, as indicated by some of her photos.
Other collectors began to acquire Maier’s photos, but Maloof owns much of her work. He released a book, Vivian Maier: Street Photographer, in 2011, and his documentary, Finding Vivian Maier, came out in 2013.
1. Which word can be used to describe Vivian’s life?A.Risky. | B.Wealthy. | C.Mysterious. | D.Miserable. |
A.She was born in France. |
B.She never developed her photos. |
C.She enjoyed great fame in her life. |
D.She took photos of Chicago and other cities. |
A.He approached Maier’s former employers. |
B.He managed to meet the artist in the flesh. |
C.He released a collection of Maier’s work. |
D.He purchased more developed negatives. |
A.They were presented to her employers. |
B.They were meant to earn her a fortune. |
C.They were taken by a professional artist. |
D.They were of artistic and historical value. |
8 . Four Most Famous Paintings in the World
The Starry Night
Artist: Vincent Willem van Gogh
Where to see it: the Museum of Modern Art (New York, US)
Being treated for mental illness in hospital and inspired by the view from the window of his room, Van Gogh painted The Starry Night. The painting is famous for Van Gogh’s creative use of thick brushstrokes (笔画). The painting’s striking blues and yellows and the dreamy atmosphere have attracted art lovers for decades.
The Scream
Artist: Edvard Munch
Where to see it: the National Museum and the Munch Museum (Oslo, Norway)
The Scream is not a single work of art. According to a British museum’s blog, there are two paintings, two pastels (彩粉画) and a number of prints, The paintings are in the National Museum and the Munch Museum, and in 2012, one of the pastels was sold for almost 120 million.
Mona Lisa
Artist: Leonardo da Vinci
Where to see it: the Louvre Museum (Paris. France)
It should come as no surprise that one of the most famous paintings in the world is a woman with a mysterious smile. It is the earliest known Italian painting to focus closely on the sitter in a half-length portrait (像) , according to the Louvre, where it was first exhibited in 1804.
The Last Supper
Artist: Leonardo da Vinci
Where to see it: Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milan, Italy)
Leonardo is the only artist to appear on this list twice. The Last Supper is about the last time Jesus had dinner with his followers. The painting is actually a huge wall painting-4. 6 meters high and 8. 8 meters wide, which makes for a memorable viewing experience.
1. Where is The Starry Night exhibited?A.In the Louvre Museum. |
B.In the Munch Museum. |
C.In the Museum of Modern Art. |
D.In Santa Maria delle Grazie. |
A.It is exhibited in three museums. |
B.It includes a series of works of art. |
C.It is famous for a smile in the painting. |
D.It was painted in a mental hospital. |
A.They feature religious figures. |
B.They both belong to wall paintings. |
C.They are exhibited in the National Museum. |
D.They were painted by Leonardo da Vinci. |
Angela Mia De la Vega breathes a realistic beauty into each of her lifelike sculptures. For De la Vega, sculpting is an opportunity to catch
Whenever possible, De la Vega works with life models to accurately capture (捕捉) the little details that make her final
10 . Claude Monet spent the winters of 1899, 1900 and 1901 freezing on a balcony of London’s Savoy Hotel, painting a series of famous images of Waterloo Bridge and Charing Cross Bridge.
Now, scientists at Birmingham University have used solar geometry and historical weather data to figure out exactly which balcony Monet was standing on, and what time of day he was likely working.
“We know that Monet, in the mornings, used to work on the sun rising over Waterloo Bridge,” John Thornes says. “By midday, the sun would be shining directly along the Thames, and Monet usually moved on to Charing Cross Bridge, before finishing the day watching the sun set over the Houses of Parliament.”
The sun occupies the same position in the sky today as it did in 1900 and 1901, which helped Thornes figure out the time of day. Monet also included another London landmark, the obelisk (方尖纪念碑) known as Cleopatra’s Needle, in some of his paintings of Charing Cross Bridge. Thornes says that examining the position of the needle relative to the bridge helped him determine that Monet stayed in rooms 610 and 611 at the Savoy during the winter of 1899, and one floor down at 510 and 511 a year later.
“The Savoy Hotel actually advertises theMonet Suite, which they sell to the public,” Thornes says. “And they in fact use the suite farther down from where Monet actually was.”
But the hotel is upgrading, and when it reopens, it will have the correct rooms as the Monet Suite —thanks in part to his research.
Monet’s images of London aren’t just great art. Thornes says they also provide an accurate record of the city’s fogs, which were common in the days before clean-air law was passed in the 1950s.
“That’s one of the things we’re very interested in,” he says, “Maybe, the visibility (能见度) in Monet’s painting will help me to study how the air quality has improved since those days.”
1. What has helped the researchers to determine Monet’s rooms?A.The hotel’s historical documents. | B.The weather records about London. |
C.The signatures in some of the paintings. | D.The visibility in Claude Monet’s paintings. |
A.Waterloo Bridge. | B.Cleopatra’s Needle. |
C.Charing Cross Bridge. | D.the Houses of Parliament. |
A.It is open for the public now. |
B.Claude Monet didn’t stay in it. |
C.It consists of more than four rooms. |
D.It should be on the sixth or fifth floor. |
A.To help the Savoy Hotel redesign the Monet Suite. |
B.To study the effects of the clean-air law passed in the 1950s. |
C.To find out when and where Claude Monet worked on some of his paintings. |
D.To analyze if Claude Monet honestly recorded the air quality in London. |